


Unsettled

by shinysylver



Series: Settled [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Developing Relationship, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Slash, Rick and Daryl are BFF, homophobic slur used internally when Daryl thinks of his childhood but not aimed at anyone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 03:29:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10800771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinysylver/pseuds/shinysylver
Summary: When Paul is injured in the war with Negan, Daryl is forced to start confronting his own feelings.





	Unsettled

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first of what I hope will be many fic for this pairing. I'm just so in love with them right now. :D
> 
> I want to thank Leia for listening to me ramble for hours about TWD even though she doesn't watch the show. If anyone who does watch the show wants to ramble about these boys with me hit me up on tumblr. It's linked in the end notes.

Daryl bound up Paul's wounds as best he could, tearing off strips of his shirt and wishing he'd bothered to wash it recently. He didn't normally care that his clothes were filthy, but Paul deserved bandages that wouldn't give him an infection. 

There was a lot of blood, but most of the wounds weren't too deep. The Saviors had been playing with him, probably keeping him alive to send a message. 

The exception was his leg. It looked like Negan had taken his damn bat to it, tearing up the muscle and breaking the bone. Just looking at it filled Daryl with a white hot rage that he didn't have time for. Anger would only slow him down. He had to get Paul to a doctor soon, and with Denise dead and Carson taken by Negan the only friendly doctor was in the Kingdom. 

He carefully picked Paul up, wavering at the unexpected weight. For a small man he wasn't light. 

Daryl carried him back to the road doing his best not to think about the last time he'd carried someone like this. Paul wasn't Beth. Paul was still alive and Daryl was going to make sure he stayed that way.

When he got back to the car, he debated whether Paul would be better off in the passenger seat or the back. It would be easier to lay him out in the back, but he finally settled on the passenger seat so that he could keep an eye on him.

Daryl gently set Paul down on the ground while he arranged the seat so that he wouldn't have to bend Paul's leg. 

Even with the seat back as far as it would go, it was still difficult to maneuver Paul into the car and the jostling made him stir, moaning in pain.

"Shhh," Daryl soothed, although truth be told he was relieved by the signs of life. "I've got you. You'll be okay."

Paul's eyes fluttered open, the normally bright blue appearing dull and unfocused. "Daryl? Safe?"

"Yeah." Daryl gave into the urge to push Paul's hair back, tucking it behind his ear. "I've got ya."

"Good," Paul murmured as his eyes slid closed. Daryl took just long enough to quickly check his pulse before climbing behind the wheel and taking off for the Kingdom.

**

"I ain't leaving him," Daryl said firmly. It wasn't often he told Rick no, but there were other people who could fetch Maggie from Hilltop for the war council. 

Rick gave him a curious look, but nodded his head. "I'll ask Morgan."

Daryl returned the nod and sat back in the chair next to Paul's bed. 

He hadn't left the room except when Carol had forced him to shower that first day when he'd been covered in Paul's blood. Daryl couldn't exactly explain it, but when he'd first found Paul, he'd thought the other man was dead and the loss he'd felt had blindsided him. By the time he'd gotten Paul to the doctor he'd been completely shut down and Carol had had to guide him to the shower like a child. 

"We've never talked about it," Rick said, hesitantly. "But are you and Jesus...?"

The question confused Daryl and he waited for Rick to finish the thought. 

Rick shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "I've known you for years and I don't even know if you had someone before. A girlfriend? A boyfriend?"

Oh. That. "Naw. Nothin' serious at least." He looked back down at Paul. "Merle woulda beat my ass if he knew I liked men." 

And it didn't even bear mentioning what his father would have done. 

Daryl watched Rick out of the corner of his eye. He'd never come out to anyone before. Hell, most of the time he barely acknowledged it to himself. 

It wasn't that he thought Rick would have a problem with it--Rick wasn't Merle--but he still cared an awful lot about Rick's opinion. 

Rick squeezed Daryl's shoulder. "Merle was an asshole."

Daryl couldn't argue with that. 

Rick gestured at Paul. "You should tell him."

"That I'm gay?" Once upon a time he would have used a different word. Faggot. Fairy. Pansy. He'd heard it all from his father and Merle. Anyone they didn't see as manly enough was a target and he'd followed suit. 

Now was different. He'd punch anyone that called Paul, Aaron, or Eric any of those words--if they didn't first--and so it was high time he stopped letting the voice in his head describe himself that way.

"That you like him," Rick corrected.

Daryl didn't know if that was true, although it would explain an awful lot. It didn't matter though. "Things are too fucked up. Nothing's settled."

"Daryl, nothing is ever gonna  _ be _ settled. That was true even before the world went to hell."

"Weren't at war before." Daryl pointed out.

Rick sighed. "Just trust me on this. It's worth it. Being with Michonne makes  _ me  _ more settled even if the world isn't."

"And if she dies?" Daryl hated asking it, but he'd been there when Rick lost Lori. He'd never seen someone that mentally unstable. 

"Just being her friend wouldn't make it hurt any less. Besides, do you think Maggie regrets a single second she had with Glenn?"

"She doesn't," Paul said, his voice rough. "She told me so herself."

"How long have you been awake?" Daryl asked, suspiciously. Paul was the sort that would pretend to be asleep just to snoop on things he shouldn't be hearing.

"Not long," Paul answered. Daryl didn't really believe him, but he was happy enough to pretend it was the truth if it meant avoiding a conversation he really wasn't ready for. 

"I'll go find Morgan," Rick said. He patted Paul's good leg. "Take care of yourself, Jesus."

"I will, thank you." Once Rick was gone, Paul turned his attention to Daryl. He tried to sit up, but winced as his leg shifted. 

"Careful." Daryl helped Paul prop himself up against the headboard. "They did a real number on you."

Paul looked down at his leg which was immobilized in a hip to ankle splint. "How bad?"

"Broke in a couple places and the barbed wire really tore you up. Gonna be a mess of scars, but the doctor said with some work you should make a good recovery." Daryl answered. 

"Good, but not complete," Paul said, his voice guarded.

"Too early to tell." Daryl hadn't meant for Paul to catch that, but he was shit at lying. He crossed to the dresser on the other side of the room and grabbed the bottle of pain pills the doctor had left. He handed two of them to Paul with a glass of water. "Doc said to take two of these when you woke up."

Paul stared at the pills. 

"Go on," Daryl urged. "No reason to hurt."

"I don't like losing control." Paul looked up at Daryl, his eyes distant. "If something happens when I'm high…."

Daryl shook his head. "Nothin's gonna happen. I ain't leaving."

Paul studied him for a moment before nodding his head and tossing back both pills with a swallow of water. He leaned back against the headboard. "How did you find me?"

"Negan wanted you found," Daryl all but growled. His eyes stuck on the splint. It was going to be months before Paul was back to walking and even longer before he could fight. And that was assuming the recovery really was a good one. He'd probably never be able to kick the way he used to. "Message received."

Paul grabbed Daryl's arm, pulling him out of his dark contemplation. "I'll be okay. Don't you go doing something stupid."

Daryl knew Paul was right. If he went off half-cocked, chasing Negan he'd just get himself captured or killed. He was more use here with Paul. 

"I won't."

"Good." Paul let go and Daryl hated to admit that he missed the contact. He didn't quite have the nerve to reach out and touch Paul, though. "How long am I stuck in the Kingdom?"

Daryl shrugged. "I didn't ask. But it's gonna be a while before you can get around on your own."

"That's why I have a big strong man to help me right?" Paul asked flirtatiously.

Daryl blushed. He'd  _ known _ Paul had heard his entire conversation with Rick. His first instinct was to deny it and shut down the flirting, but Paul's pupils were pinpoints and he was clearly having trouble focusing. The pills were kicking in fast on his empty stomach. There was a good chance Paul was barely aware of what he was saying and it wouldn't be right to hold it against him.

"Something like that," Daryl muttered. "I think it's nap time for you."

He helped Paul lay back down, ignoring the way his stomach flipped when Paul's hands seemed to linger on his arms longer than necessary. And when Paul's hand found his, twining their fingers together, he didn't pull away. 

Daryl sat back down in the chair and stared at their joined hands. He'd never held hands with someone before--not like this. There had been times he'd given someone a hand up or held someone's hand to keep from losing each other in the dark, but those times had a clear purpose. 

He'd never understood why someone would want to hold hands just to do it. He'd never been much for unnecessary touching, but he couldn't deny that there was something comforting about feeling Paul's warm hand in his.

Rick was right. He was going to have to figure out what the hell to do about Paul at some point, but not tonight. Tonight he was just going to be grateful that Paul was alive.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are much appreciated.
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr at [shinysylver!](http://shinysylver.tumblr.com/)


End file.
